Latvian president ponders possible reelection bid amid doubts about his chances

Latvian President Andris Berzins may have to reconsider running for a second four-year term in office after several colleagues from ruling parties have voiced doubts about the parliament's support for his reelection.

The centrist Greens and Farmers Union (ZZS) is the only one of the three coalition partners to firmly back Berzins' reelection, while MPs of the Unity and the right-wing National Alliance are divided over support for the incumbent president.

Solvita Aboltina, the leader of Latvia's ruling center-right Unity party, told journalists Thursday that for the time being Berzins did not have enough votes in the parliament to get reelected.

In Aboltina's words, quite a few lawmakers from the Unity faction have voiced strong objections to Berzins' possible reelection, but the faction had not adopted any formal stance on the issue.

National Alliance co-chairman Gaidis Berzins said President Berzins had both supporters and opponents in the alliance, and that its support for the incumbent president's reelection would depend on the situation, possibly also rival candidates.

Berzins' spokeswoman Liga Krapane said that the president would announce his decision about a possible reelection bid in April.

"The president will make his decision known in April," she said.

Berzins' first four-year term in office comes to an end this year, and he has not yet said if he would seek another term.

Latvia's next presidential election is due to take place at the beginning of this summer.

The Latvian president is elected by the parliament in a secret ballot. To get elected, the candidate has to receive at least 51 of the 100 votes in the Latvian parliament. Endit